Movies have always been one of America’s most popular forms of entertainment. The THX superb sound qualities and the picturesque movie scenes never cease to amaze us. It’s evident that most people like to go to the movies for their own pleasures. Whether they go with friends or family, it usually is always enjoyable. However, this entire grand package of entertainment does not come for free. In fact, movie-goers have to pay a fair price to enjoy their movie theater experience. Just because a movie has been embroidered by Steven Spielberg or James Cameron does not mean that it will promise to be spectacular. Because we are paying our own share of money, we definitely do not want to be disappointed after the movie. In order to make the best out of your movie experience, there are a few things that need to be done.

To begin with, you’ll need to know what you want to watch. There are many movie trailers that are available on Youtube.com or Yahoo Movies. Usually, movie titles get publicity through word of mouth or commercials on television so it helps to pay close attention to your surroundings. You can get a feel for a movie by the trailers and comments by viewers. Another way to see if a movie is worth watching is to scope out the reviews from people who have already seen the movie. These can be found at such websites like Rotten Tomatoes or Yahoo Movies. Reviews are simply subjective and can, therefore, distort the overall experience at the movie theater. They only give you opinions of a movie by a single individual and he only says what he says about the film. In other words, do not rely too heavily on the value of reviews. Also, if you often get frustrated with spoilers, there are some posts that may spoil the movie. Once you have found a movie of interest, it is time to take it a step further and choose what showtimes to watch.

When it comes to showtimes, it heavily depends on what kind of person you are. Some enjoy watching movies in the morning, afternoon, or evening. The majority of the populace seems to enjoy watching movies during the evening but it all comes down to preference. Most importantly when choosing a film time is to not have anything on your mind. Such issues may include: finishing an English essay, studying for a calculus test the next day, or walking the dog. If chores remain in your mind, the movie will not be as enjoyable as it can potentially be. With that being said, the evening times are the most popular in the respect that people have everything taken care of during the earlier part of the day and there is a peaceful ambience in the evening. In regards to showtimes, they can be found in the local newspaper in the entertainment section or online. Some sites include Yahoo and Google. As mentioned before, be careful not to pick a time that will interfere with any of your errands and chores.

Afterwards, decide who will come to the movies with you. Your company is normally the most exciting part of the movie experience. Obviously, do not invite people who you are on bad terms with like archenemies and ex-girl or boyfriends. As the inviter, pick people who you can have fun with but make sure your invitees can also have fun with each other also. A successful and fun movie experience will be severely ruined if you have two awkward people. If you are the invitee and you have found out that there are some people in the group that you do not get along with, you can either take a chance and hope everything will be fine or tell him that you cannot make it and give a legitimate reason so there is no pressure for both parties. Often, when you take a chance, the outcome is usually a fun time but it all depends on the situation. In summary, choose who you want to go with but most importantly, remember to enjoy yourself.

After deciding who will accompany you, it is time to buy tickets. Depending on the movie, you might need to buy tickets well in advance. Usually, sequels of previous successful movies will be a huge hit at the box office so be cautious that tickets will sell out quickly. When “Star Wars: Episode III” premiered, it sold out within days and there were huge lines waiting to get in. The lesson is to get your ticket at a comfortable time. Tickets don’t usually sell out unless it is an extremely popular movie. Since tickets have risen to a price of about $12 per showing, it is advantageous to get them as cheaply as possible. Costco is popular for selling their movie tickets at about $15 for two tickets, a much better deal than simply purchasing them at the theaters themselves. Additionally, some workplaces and colleges have discounts on tickets so take advantage of that benefit if it is available.

There’s been much discussion about the process before the movie. Finally, we will now get into the whole movie experience itself. It is recommended not to buy concessions because they are overly priced well beyond inflation. For instance, popcorn costs about $8 and a medium soda costs about $4. It is better to sneak treats into the theater even though the rules don’t allow it. Many movie-goers do it so it isn’t too big of a deal. If you have pockets, put the treats in them and if there is room, put a drink or two in there also. If you are carrying a bag or a purse of some sort, you can easily sneak in more things. Nobody checks pockets and bags at a movie theater. After fulfilling your concession needs, it is highly advised that you use the restroom even though you do not need to before watching the movie. You would not want to exit the theater to use the restroom and miss a few scenes. Next, you enter the theater. The issue of seating may occur here. The seats with the most optimal visual and auditory experiences are located two-thirds up from the movie screen. Try to get a seat that is not in the direct middle of the row because sound editors perform their sound checks from the center seat and the sounds from both sides equalize and therefore, the optimal stereo effects occur about two or three seats from the center. A few words of advice: please do turn off your cell phone as it will distract those around you and also you from enjoying the movie. Once you grab a seat, sit back and enjoy the movie.

In a perfect world, movie-goers can watch movies for free at anytime they like. Unfortunate, the world is not perfect and nothing is ever free. This is why it is absolutely advantageous to make the best out of every movie theater experience. So before you leave for the movies, carefully decide what movie you will watch, who will go with you, and when it is best to watch the movie. Also, tickets can be sold at a much cheaper price than buying them at the theater itself. If you follow these general guidelines, your trip to the movies will be worthwhile and definitely money-friendly. In short, the next time you decide to go watch at movie, keep these tips in mind and the experience will be promising.